United Nations investigators revealed clear evidence of systematic torture carried out by Myanmar security forces on Tuesday and named several senior officials responsible.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), established in 2018 to examine serious violations of international law, detailed victims enduring beatings, electric shocks, strangulation and even the removal of fingernails with pliers.
"We have uncovered significant evidence, including eyewitness testimony, showing systematic torture in Myanmar detention facilities,” said Nicholas Koumjian, head of the mechanism, in a statement accompanying the 16-page report.
The report confirmed that some victims died from torture, with children – often unlawfully detained as proxies for their missing parents – among those subjected to abuse.
A spokesperson for Myanmar’s military-backed government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to the U.N. report, the government has ignored more than two dozen requests from the investigative team for information and access to the country.
The military says it has a duty to ensure peace and security. It has denied atrocities have taken place and has blamed "terrorists” for causing unrest.
The findings in the report, covering a one-year period through June 30, were based on information from more than 1,300 sources, including hundreds of eyewitness testimonies, forensic evidence, documents and photographs.
The list of perpetrators identified so far includes high-level commanders, the report said. An IIMM spokesperson declined to name them, saying investigations are ongoing and officials want to avoid alerting the individuals.
The report also said both Myanmar security forces and opposition armed groups carried out summary executions in the conflict and identified those responsible.
A government spokesperson and an opposition spokesperson were not immediately available for comment.
Myanmar has been in chaos since a 2021 military coup against an elected civilian government plunged the country into civil war. Tens of thousands of people have been detained since then in an attempt to silence opponents and recruit soldiers, the United Nations says.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing ended a four-year state of emergency last month and announced the formation of a new government, with himself as acting president, ahead of a planned election.
The IIMM is investigating abuses in Myanmar since 2011, including crimes committed against the mainly Muslim Rohingya minority in 2017, when hundreds of thousands were forced to flee a military crackdown, as well as violations affecting all groups since the coup.
The IIMM said it is supporting several jurisdictions investigating the alleged crimes, including Britain. However, the IIMM said in its report that U.N. budget cuts are threatening its work. "These financial pressures threaten the mechanism’s ability to sustain its critical work and to continue supporting international and national justice efforts,” it said.